Balloon Monkey (Magenta) by Jeff Koons
Auctioned by Christie’s in London for £10.1 million
Sold by philanthropists Victor and Olena Pinchuk in order to raise funds for humanitarian aid in their homeland of Ukraine, Jeff Koons’ seminal sculpture is the largest and final piece in the American artist’s series of balloon animals. Crafted between 2006 and 2013, the mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture is a representation of childhood innocence and joy, and its absence from the lives of